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Abstract

On April 20 1967, the Carmen-Suite ballet, starring Maya Plisetskaya in the
leading role, premiered in Moscow’s Bolshoi Ballet Theatre. The production was
immediately banned by the Soviet Ministry of Culture for perceived violations of
classical ballet canons. In a unique case of artistic resistance within the Soviet system of
production, Plisetskaya negotiated the ballet’s return to the stage. Following the initial
scandal, performance ban and a media blackout, the Carmen-Suite was subsequently reintegrated
into Soviet repertoire and projected as a symbol of Soviet creativity and
innovation. The history and legacy of the Carmen-Suite serves as a unique instance of
successful artistic resistance within a framework of a repressive political system.
In my archival study I examine the unique role of Maya Plisetskaya as a Soviet
cultural actor. I argue that her role in the production, premiere and legacy of Carmen-
Suite may serve as a proxy for insight into the undercurrents of Cold War and post-Cold
War politics in the USSR and post-Soviet Russia. The evolution of Carmen-Suite from a
symbol of protest to an integral part of the established cultural system illustrates both
political protest on the part of its creators and artistic repossession on the part of the
authorities. The incident is revealing of long-term processes of ballet exploitation and
adaptation within the field of power. Today, as the United States enters a period of
strained relationship with Russia, which many have described as a dawn of the second
Cold War, research into the artistic, cultural and political significance of the 1967
Carmen-Suite may be of particular significance.